Mike Bianchi: Magic fall in Game 7, but their rise has just begun
CLEVELAND — It has become tradition during the Orlando Magic’s 35th anniversary season for delirious fans in Kia Center to chant, “Play the song! Play the song!” when the Magic record a victory. And then the crowd celebrates and sings along when a remade version of the original team anthem blares throughout the arena.
On Sunday afternoon, as Orlando’s players tearfully trudged off the court on the road after being eliminated from the playoffs following a devastating 106-94 Game 7 loss to the Cavaliers, it only seems appropriate that we should dust off another decades-old song.
Maestro, can you please please play“We’ve Only Just Begun” by the Carpenters.
“Before the risin’ sun, we fly …
We’ll start out walkin’ and learn to run
And, yes, we’ve only just begun.”
As syrupy as the classic song is, it perfectly illustrates why Sunday afternoon was such a bittersweet occasion for the Magic and their fans. In the moment, players and coaches were obviously dejected about getting knocked out of the playoffs after being up by 18 points late in the first half but, in the bigger picture, this is just the beginning of what is an exciting new era of Magic basketball.
“It sucks to lose in Game 7 with a chance to close it out,” solemn Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said afterward. “But in the same breath, you have to put it in perspective. Sometimes, these painful moments are blessings in disguise. It hurts now, but I’m proud of this young group for what they did this season.”
There’s no denying that this loss stings more than most because of the circumstances surrounding it. It was, after all, Game 7 and the Magic did have an 18-point lead with 4:17 left in the first half. The Cavs were down and their crowd was starting to boo them. However, it’s the NBA. You knew the Cavs were going to make a run, and they did.
Donovan Mitchell, who scored 50 points in a Game 6 loss in Orlando, continued to carry his team with 39 in Game 7. The Cavs ratcheted up their defensive tenacity in the third quarter and the young Magic finally started acting their age. They became discombobulated and hit only 4-of-24 shots in the period. Suddenly, the Cavaliers seized control and their crowd once again became intimidatingly loud.
So, yes, you understand the dejection and the depression of the Magic players. You understand them kicking themselves for not winning a game they could have and probably should have won. You understand young star Franz Wagner blaming himself after a horrid performance in which he hit only 1-of-15 shots and scored just six points.
“I feel like I let my team down,” a somber Wagner said.
When asked by a reporter if he would reflect on how much this team has grown during the course of the season, Wagner just shook his head. At this moment in time, there was no silver lining; only the dark cloud of the season being over after losing in Game 7.
However, former Magic general manager and current team consultant John Hammond said something very telling as he exited the locker room after the game. He recalled a quote from former Magic player and current ESPN commentator J.J. Reddick.
“All seasons don’t end in tears, but the good ones do,” Hammond said.
In other words, when it hurts deep down in your bones and you’re totally devastated after you’ve lost your final game, you know it’s been a helluva year and you know your future is bright.
First and foremost, if ever there was a question whether the Magic’s Paolo Banchero is going to be a superstar someday, it was answered during this series. Banchero unquestionably WILL NOT be a superstar someday because he already is a superstar in only his second NBA season.
He did everything he could to put the Magic on his back during the series. Even with running mates Wagner and Jalen Suggs combining to hit just 3 of 28 from the field during Game 7, Banchero kept the Magic in the game by scoring 38 and yanking down 16 rebounds. He scored more than 30 in three of the last five games and averaged 25.2 points in the series.
Even Mitchell, the Cavs veteran star, gave Banchero and the Magic their props after the series.
“They’ve got some dawgs over there,” Mitchell said. “Paolo Banchero is going to be a monster. This wasn’t easy.”
There’s no denying, Banchero and this Magic team exceeded everyone’s expectations. Before the season, we would have been happy if they had just made the play-in tournament, but now we’re sad that they didn’t beat a better-seeded team in the playoffs. Then again, this is simply the nature of the NBA postseason, where you almost always must to pay your dues and take your lumps.
It took Michael Jordan seven years before he won his first championship. It took LeBron James nine years. The Cavaliers went through their growing pains last year when they got bullied out of the first round of the playoffs in five games by the Knicks. There was immense pressure on them to beat the upstart Magic in the playoffs this season and they did — even though they got much more than they bargained for.
Just watching how much maturity and resolve the Magic displayed this season reminded me of the beginning of the year when most everybody had relegated this team to the realm of mediocrity before a single ball had been bounced.
The Magic defied expectations in every way imaginable. They overcame injuries and inexperience and below-average shooting to not only make the playoffs but to scare the bejeebers out of the Cavaliers in the process. They proved their naysayers and doubters wrong and enlivened a fan base that has been beleaguered for more than a decade.
And as the final buzzer sounded and their playoff run was over, it was understandable that some of them hung their heads and some of them wiped tears from their eyes.
The season came to an end on Sunday afternoon, but the journey has just started for the Orlando Magic.
“Not all seasons end in tears, but the good ones do.”
Translation: Cry today; smile tomorrow.
Play the song!
We’ve Only Just Begun.
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